Argentine motorsport is set for a historic weekend to kick off the 2026 season, as three national drivers will be competing at the Australian Grand Prix: Franco Colapinto in Formula 1, Nicolás Varrone in Formula 2, and Mattia Colnaghi in Formula 3. In this context, all eyes will be on Varrone's official debut in the category that serves as the direct feeder series to Formula 1. The 25-year-old driver will make his debut with the Van Amersfoort Racing team, at the wheel of car number 22, for the Australian Grand Prix held at the traditional Albert Park Circuit. This will be his first official experience in the category directly preceding Formula 1, with the clear objective of consolidating his position and projecting himself towards the elite, according to the Argentine News Agency.
Varrone's Schedule for the Australian GP (Argentina time) Thursday, March 5 Practice: 20:00 Friday, March 6 Qualifying: 00:55 Saturday, March 7 Sprint Race: 00:10 Feature Race: 21:25 The broadcast will be available on Disney+.
How Varrone Approaches His Debut Varrone completed a solid preseason in Barcelona, where he ran for three days, accumulating 158 laps. Furthermore, the Argentine was faster than his teammate, Mexican Rafael Villagómez, who has two full seasons in the category. His best time was 1m23s760, a lap that even improved last year's pole position at that circuit and left him half a second off the overall best time set by Brazilian Rafael Cámara (1m23s252).
Beyond the fastest lap, the focus was on qualifying and race simulations, prioritizing tire management, a fundamental aspect of Formula 2 where all competitors use the same Dallara chassis and engine.
